Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido speaks at a ceremony in April, when the Orange County Fire Authority took over fire protection in Santa Ana. A measure to be discussed would set term limits for his office.

Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez at a September council meeting. She questioned an opinion by the city clerk that would deny her nomination papers to run for a fourth term in office.

Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez addresses the public at a council meeting last September. She proposes term limits for the mayor's office. At left is Councilman Carlos Bustamante, who was absent from Monday's meeting. He has been charged with a number of sex-related crimes.

City Councilwoman Michele Martinez placed on the agenda discussion of a potential ballot measure regarding term limits.

In 2008, city voters approved Measure D, an amendment to the city’s governing charter that was backed heavily by developers that extended term limits for council members to three terms of four years each. While the measure addressed the council members’ terms, it didn’t set term limits for the mayor.

Mayor Miguel Pulido was elected mayor in 1994, and has indicated he plans to run for re-election to another two-year term in November.

“The City Council has term limits and the mayoral seat does not,” Martinez said during the meeting. “There’s certainly an imbalance.”

On a 6-0 vote, with Councilman Carlos Bustamante absent following his arrest earlier this month on sex-related charges, the council voted for an ad hoc committee that will determine whether a term limit measure should be placed on the November ballot. It needs to be completed by Aug. 10 to make the election deadline.

Martinez said that request her request had nothing to do with personal politics.

“I think it’s important that the mayor have the same term limits as the City Council,” she said. “He or she should run every two years for a total of six consecutive terms.”

The committee will be made up of council members Martinez, David Benavides and Vincent F. Sarmiento.

“I don’t believe this is a referendum on our mayor,” said Sarmiento. “But it is a discussion of the office of the mayor,” noting requests from constituents to address the issue.

After the meeting, Martinez spoke of Pulido’s accomplishments, and her regard for his work.

“I have nothing against the mayor. He was once my hero and I said it publicly. I’ve always had nothing for respect for the mayor. “

She said she isn’t seeking the office, but wouldn’t want to see Pulido run unopposed.

“I’m trying to make sure this is his last two years to run for office,” she said. “Which means that 10 years would be retroactive and that these would be his last two years if he runs in November.”

She noted that he’s been on the council longer than any of the others, and that most staff defer to him, while he represents just one vote.

“He doesn’t involve us. He doesn’t include us into the process. We sometimes get, like, ”Are we chopped liver here, hello?'” she said. “I don’t think he does it intentionally. He’s just been here too long…It’s not that he’s calling the shots, it’s how he does business.”

THE LAWSUIT

Meanwhile, several residents, as well as members of the council, in comments portions of the meeting discussed a suit against City Clerk Maria Huizar seeking an order directing her to issue nomination papers to Councilwoman Claudia Alvarez so that she can run for a fourth term in November. Alvarez, who serves as mayor pro tem and represents Ward 5, was elected to the council in November 2000. Her third term expires this year.

The lawsuit was filed by Max Madrid, Alvarez’s Ward 5 appointee on the Board of Recreation and Parks. The nomination period for City Council elections in November began Monday. A court hearing is set for July 25.

Alvarez contended during her comments that attacks on her, as well as an opinion Huizar cited, are the result of “shenanigans” at City Hall, and a “political agenda” that swayed the official.

“There have been a lot of issues taking place at the city clerk’s office that have not been open to the public,” she said, maintaining that Councilman David Benavides had invited speakers to address the council on the lawsuit over Measure D, while pointing out blog reports of attacks on her by Benavides and Bustamante.

“Why is it that some council members have an issue with getting a fair, ethical, objective ruling by a court that will apply to everyone equally? Why is it that that’s an issue?” she said. “All we have is an opinion of a city clerk who has refused to look at an opposing opinion.”

She questioned who authorized the opinion, and why an outside firm prepared it.

“The very office in the city of Santa Ana, that’s supposed to be the most objective,” she said, “the one you rely on to hold fair elections, has fallen subject to the influence of Council members Bustamante and Benavides.”

Huizar on Tuesday declined to comment, citing pending the litigation.

Martinez called Alvarez’s comments about Huizar “uncalled for.”

Benavides said it’s a duty of the city to defend staff in court.

“We have stopped other speakers from lodging personal attacks,” Benavides said. “And we need to hold ourselves to the same standard.”

In an interview after the meeting, he called her allegations about him “false and unfounded,” adding that she was attempting to deflect the criticism she’s receiving over the lawsuit.

Sarmiento said that the issue of Measure D needs to be addressed in court, and that outside counsel is needed because of the constitutional issues raised.

He took Alvarez to task, as well.

“There’s a difference between asking a question civilly and dressing someone down publicly,” he said at the meeting, citing his concerns about creating a hostile work environment. “I would hope there’d be some leadership on this council from the mayor, to say, we can’t treat our staff this way.”

Pulido said he’s sometimes criticized for cutting speakers short, and tries to lead by example.

“I may defer too much to council members,” he said.

Alvarez said she needs to be able to ask questions to do her job.

“If for whatever reason the city clerk is offended by my comments, I apologize, but it doesn’t change my view.”

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